Camp, grill, or just find fireworks with the perfect apps for July 4

We generally don’t need an excuse to dip out of work, hang out with friends, crack a beer, and blow up some stuff, but we’ll take one when we get it. The Fourth of July is America’s birthday, and as such, someone has to throw the party. Today, we have technology that our founding fathers could have never imagined, and we think they’d be ashamed if we didn’t utilize the products of American ingenuity to celebrate their hard work. So grab your smartphone or tablet and get ready to celebrate.

Find a camp spot and fireworks

The first step in the planning of any successful Fourth of July party is finding the perfect camp spot or the nearest fireworks display. Here are some apps that will help you find the best place for your patriotic celebration.

The Fourth falls on a Monday this year, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to take a three-day weekend. And three days off right in the middle of summer can only mean one thing — it’s time to go camping. Grab your tent and fill your backpack with all the essentials before launching Camp Finder. With more than 19,000 camping sites in its database, it’s the perfect tool for finding where to stake out for the weekend. You can also filter results based on proximity, price, amenities, policies, and activities, so you make sure to land on one that allows you to enjoy the weekend the way you want.

It isn’t always easy to figure out where the closest fireworks display will be held, and sometimes you want to see fireworks go off more than once. If you’re looking to find out where the Fourth of July celebrations are being held this year, all you have to do is search for fireworks in Foursquare, and you’ll see all the events in your area.

The Fourth of July is a holiday best spent with good company, after all, what’s a birthday without the party? Thankfully, you can see what events are going on around you or put together your own using Eventbrite. It’s a hyper-local app, one that focuses on what’s happening in a small radius surrounding your location. Check out the parties and gatherings planned for the Fourth, see where your friends will be spending the day, then send out invitations to your own shindig. Everything from neighborhood block parties to massive city parades will show up in Eventbrite’s listings.

Traveling for the weekend? The Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, which makes it the perfect time to travel. Unfortunately, traveling can be a real pain. Liligo is here to help, providing you with the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to get to your destination, whether that involves taking a plane, train, or automobile. You can even let the app suggest destinations for you based on metrics such as temperature, price, and so on.